BLOOMINGTON – Purdue men's basketball embarked on the 2015-16 season with a frontcourt built to intimidate any opponent.

By contrast, the Boilermakers' guard play needed only to support that post prowess. Point guards needed to facilitate, not create. Shooters needed to be selective, not spectacular.

Yet for the second time in a week, Purdue coach Matt Painter came out of a loss challenging his guards to do more. After last week's loss to Michigan, Painter said it plainly: "We have to get better guard play."

Following Saturday's 77-73 loss at Indiana, Painter criticized his perimeter players in the context of the Boilermakers' recurring turnover issues. But by the time his interview began, Painter's players had already spoken up and challenged themselves to improve.

"On the perimeter, we just weren't strong with the ball," sophomore Vince Edwards said.

"The big guys are doing their best, and they were helping down on them. As far as everybody goes that plays on the perimeter, we've got to do a better job."

Of course, the opposite has also been true. Purdue's post players have given away possessions with turnovers or, as in the past two games, struggling to finish easy looks around the basket.

Guard play has also won games for Purdue this season. Even after three turnovers on Saturday, P.J. Thompson is on pace to shatter the team assist-to-turnover ratio record. He and others are a big reason why the Boilermakers will easily make the NCAA tournament and are still alive for a top-four finish in the Big Ten.

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Boilermakers coach Matt Painter talks with the media following Saturday's loss to the Hoosiers. (JCOnline.com)

Purdue's chances of making a memorable postseason run — beating other accomplished teams in unfamiliar arenas in the process — may hinge on quickly finding more consistency on the perimeter

"I told our guys, each guy's got to be about a possession better," Painter said after Saturday's game. "They've got to do a better job of what we've talked about all season: taking care of the basketball and trying to get a good shot every time."

A.J. Hammons, Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan combined for 39 points on 15-of-20 field goal shooting against Indiana. They're the reason the Boilermakers shot 58.7 percent form the floor — their second-best performance in league play.

Yet through the first 35 minutes, Indiana's guards won the battle on the perimeter and prevented Purdue's from completing the inside-out attack.

Edwards had been a catalyst for Purdue this season when setting an aggressive tone early in the game. Yet on Saturday, he didn't attempt a field goal in the first half. He had only three points before heating up from 3-point range in the final 7 minutes.

The direct correlation between Rapheal Davis' scoring and Purdue victories continued as well.

Davis came into the game averaging 11.1 points per game when Purdue wins — second only to Hammons' 15.5. Yet the senior was also shooting 21.2 percent from the field with 24 total points in six losses.

Those averages dropped Saturday as Davis, while continuing to make a defensive impact, went scoreless in 34 minutes.

Only after Indiana's lead peaked at 19 points with 10 minutes to play did Purdue's perimeter offense come alive. Purdue had made 2-of-11 from behind the arc before making seven of its last eight.

By then, the 20 points Purdue gave away with 13 turnovers were too much to overcome.

"In those stretches, with our guard play, we've got to have guys that take care of the ball and not generate offense for the other team," Painter said. "We just gave away too many points."